King County Written Translation Manual - Requirements, Best Practices and Resources
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OFFICE OF EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
King County Written
Translation Manual
Requirements, Best Practices and Resources
Appendix B Executive Order INF 14-2 (AEO) Written Language Translation Process
This manual was developed by the Office of Equity
and Social Justice based on resources originally
created by Public Health’s Translation Policy
Workgroup.
This living document outlines effective practices in
translation and is a supplement to the King County
Executive Order # INF 14-2: Written Language
Translation Process and King County Code 2.15
(2018).
The purpose of this manual is to provide specific
process steps, examples, resources and effective
practices related to the translation of written
materials for King County residents with limited
English proficiency.
Updated: March 5, 2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS
REQUIREMENTS ....................................................................... 2
K.C.C 2.15 IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE ORDINANCE 18665 .......................................... 2
EXECUTIVE ORDER – WRITTEN TRANSLATION PROCESS (2010) ................................. 3
IMPLEMENTATION ................................................................... 4
EVALUATING MATERIALS TO TRANSLATE .................................................................... 4
EVALUATING ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS TO TRANSLATE ......................................... 5
TARGET AUDIENCE......................................................................................................... 6
LANGUAGE PREVELENCE ................................................................................................ 6
PREPARING DOCUMENTS FOR TRANSLATION ............................................................. 7
DESIGN, FORMAT AND DISTRIBUTION ............................ 10
ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE .................................................... 11
ADDITIONAL FORMS OF LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE ..................................................... 11
PROJECT PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS ........................ 12
TIMELINE ........................................................................................................................ 12
BUDGET ......................................................................................................................... 12
SUBMITING A TRANSLATION REQUEST....................................................................... 13
LANGUAGE CONSIDERATIONS.................................................................................... 13
SELECTING A TRANSLATION VENDOR ....................................................................... 14
BILINGUAL OR BILITERATE EMPLOYEES ....................................................................... 15
TRANSCREATION.......................................................................................................... 16
WORKING WITH A TRANSLATION VENDOR ............................................................. 16
SUPPORT RESOURCES ......................................................... 18
TRANSLATION RESOURCES .......................................................................................... 18
APPENDIX A: DEFINITIONS ........................................................................................... 19
APPENDIX B: KING COUNTY TOP LANGUAGES ......................................................... 20
APPENDIX C: KING COUNTY LANGUAGE DENSITY MAPS, 2019 ................................ 21
CONTACTS FOR SUPPORT ........................................................................................... 27
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 1
Updated: March 23, 2021
REQUIREMENTS
K.C.C 2.15 IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE ORDINANCE 18665
K.C.C. Section 2.15.010: County and County Agents Limitations and
Responsibilities, Exceptions
All King County employees/agents must be trained on the provisions of section 2.15 of the
Code. The Office of Equity and Social Justice will support training and monitoring activities
related to implementation.
K.C.C. Section 2.15.030 – County and County Contractors, Interpretation and
Translation Services, Language Assistance Plans
King County shall provide free interpretation and translation services to limited-English-
proficient persons.
Limited-English-proficient persons must not wait unreasonably longer to receive assistance
than persons who do not require interpretation.
Where an application or form administered by King County requires completion in English
by a limited English-proficient person, King County shall make reasonable efforts to
provide oral interpretation of the application or form as well as acknowledgement by the
limited-English-proficient person that the form was completed by an interpreter.
King County agencies shall provide support to contractors to meet language access
requirements.
King County agencies and offices shall develop language assistance plans that outline
translation needs based on the top six languages identified by the tier map of limited-
English-proficient persons maintained by the Office of Equity and Social Justice and the
county demographer.
K.C.C. Section 2.15.100 – Complaints for Damages for Violation of Chapter (Takes
effect April 1, 2021, if contingencies in Ordinance 19047, Section 59, are met*).
Complaints regarding violations of this chapter of the King County Code shall be handled
by the Civil Rights Program, within the Office of Equity and Social Justice.
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 2
Updated: March 23, 2021
EXECUTIVE ORDER – WRITTEN TRANSLATION PROCESS (2010)
All agencies shall create a process to review their printed Public Communication Materials
intended for broad distribution to people served by King County. The process shall ensure
that such communications are culturally and linguistically appropriate to the target
audience, including Limited English-Proficient audiences.
All agencies shall identify their Vital Documents intended to provide essential information
for accessing county services and benefits.
All agencies shall translate into at least Spanish, a summary document that provides
overview information about the agency and its services. This overview document shall be
printed and posted on agency webpages.
All agencies, as soon as feasible within available resources, shall translate all Public
Communication Materials and Vital Documents into Spanish.
All agencies shall translate targeted Public Communication Materials and Vital
Documents into the target audience’s language when the target audience is a specific
community group with Limited English-Proficiency1.
All agencies shall consider and use Alternative Forms of Language Assistance (see
Appendix A) rather than translation based on effectiveness and practicality.
All agencies shall provide an annual report summarizing efforts made, hurdles faced, and
successful outcomes associated with this Written Translation Process to the Customer
Service Director and the Office of Equity and Social Justice.
1
The guideline is to translate whenever the community group with Limited English-Proficiency
makes up 5% or more of the intended target audience.
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 3
Updated: March 23, 2021
IMPLEMENTATION
EVALUATING MATERIALS TO TRANSLATE
Evaluating Materials to Translate as Required by K.C.C. Section 2.15 and the 2010
Executive Order on Translation.
A substantial number of King County residents have Limited English-Proficiency. King
County must promote fair and equitable access to information for these residents through
high-quality translations or alternative forms of language assistance.
The 2010 Executive Order on Translation provides guidance regarding which documents
must be translated. This section will help King County employees determine whether their
material fits these requirements:
Type of Document:
All agencies shall translate Public Communication Materials
and Vital Documents into at least Spanish, as Spanish is
predominant among the non-English languages spoken in
King County.
Does your document fit the definition of Public Communication Materials or Vital
Documents” (see Appendix A)?
If you answered “yes” to the question above, then translating your material into Spanish is
required as soon as feasible within available resources.
If translation into Spanish is not immediately feasible,
• Make note of the material, the reason it cannot be translated and your plan for
future translation.
• This information shall be compiled in your agency’s annual report to the Customer
Service Director and the Office of Equity and Social Justice.
Example of annual report text→ The availability of a King County service or program is
being significantly reduced or discontinued. A notification to potential customers
throughout King County must be translated into at least Spanish.
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 4
Updated: March 23, 2021
EVALUATING ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS TO TRANSLATE
The following criteria can help agencies decide which additional documents
should be translated, in addition to those required by K.C.C. Section 2.15 and the
2010 Executive Order on Translation.
Answering “yes” to some of the following questions shall be considered a good
indication that translation is needed.
• Client population: Does a particular Limited English-Proficient (LEP) community
group consistently access your agency’s services?
• Frequency: Has the material been requested in other languages many times?
• Reliance on Services: How important is a particular service to the LEP population?
Does a particular LEP community group rely on these services more than others?
• Availability: Is a translated version of this material not available from other outlets
(be sure to check whether other local, state or federal agencies have already
translated this material)?
• Emergency: Is the material related to an emergency? Is this a critical message that
needs to be disseminated to the entire community or to a specific language group?
• Consistency and longevity: Will the content be consistent over a long period of
time (messages that change frequently may be less suited for translation, when
compared to longer-lasting messages)?
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 5
Updated: March 23, 2021TARGET AUDIENCE
A document must be translated when the Target Audience is a specific community
or group with Limited English Proficiency.
Was your material developed for a specific community that has a limited ability to speak,
read, write or fully understand English?
If you answered “yes” to the question above, then you must translate your material into
the written language of the target audience.
Example→ Public Health is creating a brochure about family planning for women in the
Vietnamese community because this community group is under-utilizing family planning
services. According to community partners, this target audience needs written materials to
be in Vietnamese to fully understand the information. Your material must be translated
into Vietnamese.
LANGUAGE PREVELENCE
When the Target Audience is residents in a neighborhood or city, Public Communication
Materials and Vital Documents are required to be translated into any language that is
the primary language of 5% or more of that neighborhoods or city’s population.
Do you have a Public Communication Material or Vital Document (see appendix A)?
Was your material developed for a specific neighborhood or city in King County (e.g.,
White Center, Bellevue, Federal Way)?
Does a community group with Limited English-Proficiency make up 5% of more of the
population in that area (see Appendix C)?
If you answered “yes” to the questions above, then you must translate your material into
the written language of the target audience.
Example→ DNRP’s Solid Waste Division is conducting education about recycling. As part of
this project, they developed signs that will be placed around the White Center
neighborhood to inform residents of the types of plastic bags and film that is accepted for
recycling in stores. In this neighborhood more than 5% of the population speaks Spanish
and Vietnamese; therefore, the signs must be translated into both Spanish and
Vietnamese.
In order to help you determine whether a language group makes up 5% of more of the
population of your target city or neighborhood, King County Language Maps (Appendix
C) available for Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, Chinese, Korean and Somali.
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 6
Updated: March 23, 2021PREPARING DOCUMENTS FOR TRANSLATION
Quality and Accuracy
To ensure accuracy and quality in all translations, agency employees should thoroughly
review English materials, prior to translation, in order to assess whether information is
well-written, clear and accurate. If appropriate, information shall be verified by a subject
matter expert.
• Use clear, concise, simple language that is easy to translate.
• Think about whether the concept you are presenting exists in other cultures.
• Make sure your message is culturally competent. To ensure that your material is
culturally appropriate, run your text and images past a community partner or
employee with who is familiar with the target audience’s culture.
• Avoid idiomatic expressions or colloquialisms (e.g., expressions or sayings which do
not have the same meaning across languages). If certain text is unavoidable, work
with your translators to find best possible translation.
Readability and Plain Language
To aid translations—and to aid readability of all materials in English—County documents
should follow principles of Plain Language (see Appendix A), including:
• Eliminating of nonessential information
• Highlighting the main point(s) early in a document and sections of a document
• Using familiar words with clear meanings; avoid or explain jargon, technical terms,
abbreviations and acronyms, redundant phrases, contractions, colloquialisms,
idioms and metaphors
• Using active voice with simple verbs and concrete nouns
• Writing in short, simple sentences; avoid wordy phrases and unnecessary
synonyms; keeping paragraphs short and lists bulleted
• Using consistent, accurate punctuation (commas and hyphens, especially) and
capitalization (distinguish between proper nouns/names and common nouns)
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 7
Updated: March 23, 2021Readability and Plain Language
Readability Testing: The goal of readability testing is to determine whether the material is
written at a level that exceeds the target audience's ability to understand it. Most
readability tests are based on two factors—word difficulty and sentence length.
It is suggested that all materials should not exceed a 5th grade reading level. Most
audiences will be able to fully understand the language at this level.
One of the most common readability formulas is the Flesch Reading Ease.
Before translation, you can easily conduct a Flesch Reading Ease test on the Readable
website or on your Microsoft Word documents (or text from other applications that is
copied and pasted onto MS Word for the purposes of this test):
o Go to File > Options.
o Select Proofing.
o Under When correcting spelling and grammar in Word, make sure Mark grammar
errors as you type is selected.
o Select Show readability statistics.
o Click Ok to apply changes and exit options screen.
o Go to Review > abc Spelling & Grammar to see readability statistics.
o You must correct or ignore all errors found in the document before the readability
statistics will display.
o You will see a pop-up box titled Readability Statistics, which will provide you
analytics on your document, including your document’s Flesch Reading Ease score.
See next page for the flesh reading ease test scores.
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 8
Updated: March 23, 2021Readability and Plain Language Continued:
The Flesh Reading Ease Test Scores can be interpreted as follows:
Score School level Notes
100.00– Very easy to read. Easily understood by an average 11-year-
5th grade
90.00 old student.
90.0–80.0 6th grade Easy to read. Conversational English for consumers.
80.0–70.0 7th grade Fairly easy to read.
Plain English. Easily understood by 13- to 15-year-old
70.0–60.0 8th & 9th grade
students.
10th to 12th
60.0–50.0 Fairly difficult to read.
grade
50.0–30.0 College Difficult to read.
Very difficult to read. Best understood by university
30.0–0.0 College graduate
graduates.
Keep in mind that the readability score does not measure whether the reader understands the
intended meaning. If possible, we recommend that you your materials with your target
audience.
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 9
Updated: March 23, 2021DESIGN, FORMAT AND DISTRIBUTION
Effective materials consist of good text paired with thoughtful design. Everything from
typography (font) and color palette to imagery, influences how your message is received.
Thus, agencies shall design their materials to fit their target audience.
• Use images that reflect the community and try to use visual/graphic
communication as much as possible.
• Select a simple font that is easy to read and make sure you leave room for text
expansion, as translation can increase the number of characters and words in your
document by up to 30%.
• Agencies shall follow the King County Graphic Standards and Guidelines whenever
the King County logo is used in their materials.
• Consider what the most effective format might be to deliver your message (with
your target audience in mind). Such formats may include brochures, posters,
magnets, radio spot, bus board ads, etc. Design your material to fit the specified
format you want to utilize.
• Give your translation vendor detailed information on how you will use this
material, as it may help the translator choose the best language.
Example→ The Executive’s Office is translating a Census 2020 Fact Sheet into several
languages. This document will mostly be used by outreach workers, as part of
community conversations. Knowing this information will help the translator think of
words and phrases that will work best in a conversational context.
Is your target audience a specific ethnic group? If so, is ethnic media an appropriate
medium for your messaging?
o Find out which file formats your ethnic media partners will accept (e.g.,
InDesign, Word, Publisher, etc.). For more information about ethnic media
contact your agency’s Communications Team.
• For ease of identification, it is important to use consistent naming conventions
for files. Agencies are encouraged to include the name of the document in
English, the language and date in both the file name and the document footer.
o Sample file name: YYYYMMDD_DocumentName_Language
o Sample footer label: Document Name – Language – MM/YYYY
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 10
Updated: March 23, 2021ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE
An agency shall consider and use an Alternative Forms of Language Assistance
rather than translation when the alternative would be more effective or practical.
King County is committed to providing equitable access to information and services.
An agency may choose to provide an alternative form of language assistance when a
material would be impractical or ineffective if translated.
In these situations, special care should be taken to ensure the quality of the alternative
(e.g., hiring skilled interpreters, using graphics that have been developed in consultation
with the community, etc.).
Example→ The Department of Local Services wants to convene a representative group of
White Center residents for an important Subarea Plan meeting. It was determined that, for
Latinx residents, Spanish radio is a much more effective outreach method than print,
reaching many households. Staff arranged for a native Spanish speaker to be interviewed
about the event on air.
ADDITIONAL FORMS OF LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE
Different means of ensuring effective communication with a Limited English-Proficient
individual, with consideration to issues such as cultural competency, literacy levels and
content technicality.
Examples of alternative forms of language assistance may include:
o Sight translation (conversion of written text to spoken)
o Telephone interpreter lines (video or phone)
o In-language webinars, presentations or community meetings (interpretation)
o Ethnic Media (radio, newspaper, podcast, recordings, video, etc.)
o Translated webpages and social media content (translation)
o Engagement in partnership with community liaisons (interpretation)
o In-language phone application messages (WeChat, Viber, WhatsApp, etc.)
o Other means of visual and graphic communication
For additional support, contact the Office of Executive Equity and Social Justice team.
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 11
Updated: March 23, 2021PROJECT PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS
TIMELINE
Time needed to complete a translation varies depending on how many words you
are translating, who is completing your translation, and whether you need
desktop publishing services.
• As a general guide, a 300-word document can be translated, edited and proofread
in about 4-6 business days. Allow 1-2 additional days for desktop publishing and
formatting, depending upon complexity of project. A more accurate timeline can
be provided by the translation vendors along with the cost estimate.
• For rush orders or emergency translation through a translation vendor, most
documents can be delivered within 24 to 48 hours. This service is subject to rush
order fees. Contact translation vendors for more information. Refer to the language
access toolkit for a example budget costs.
BUDGET
When using a translation vendor, prices may vary depending on the vendor you
choose. Costs include but are not limited to:
• Translation Charge: Base costs for translation typically depend on the word count
of your document multiplied by the vendor’s price per word in the target language,
which varies.
• Desktop Publishing: Publishing fees pertain to documents that involve design (e.g.
placing translated text on an InDesign template so that your original English and
translated flyer look similar). These costs vary depending on the vendor and
services requested.
• Project Management: Some vendors add between 5% and 10% to the total cost for
fees related to project management.
• Rush Order: These fees (varied) apply when the document must be translated in 24
– 48 hours.
Quality Assurance: It may be necessary to hire a second vendor or a community partner to
provide a quality assurance review of your materials. This service may be performed on
either a “flat fee” or “per word” basis.
Refer to the language access toolkit for example budget costs.
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 12
Updated: March 23, 2021SUBMITING A TRANSLATION REQUEST
Translation Work Orders
o Translation work orders are not required for any translation projects valued at
less than $10,000. Agencies are encouraged to always request three bids from
translation vendors.
o There are no value limitations for translation projects when agencies choose a
vendor from the Approved Translator/Interpreter Contracts list (see Section 7A).
o Some agencies require their employees to complete a Translation Request Form
per their internal policies/ procedures.
LANGUAGE CONSIDERATIONS
Target language: When determining which languages to translate required materials, the
King County Language Tiers (see Appendix B) and King County Language Density Maps (see
Appendix C) shall be used as guidelines.
The King County Language Tiers document uses five different sources to identify the 20 primary
languages of King County2. These languages are ranked into three tiers:
o Tier 1 language (Spanish) “requires” translation.
o Tier 2 languages represent languages where translation is “recommended”.
o Tier 3 languages are language where translation is “encouraged”.
Agencies can translate materials into additional languages other than those identified in the
three tiers.
Target audience: Agencies shall define their intended audience as narrowly and clearly as possible.
Localization: What language does the target audience speak? Does this language have different
dialects? It is important to share the specific language and regional dialect or your target audience
with the translation vendor (e.g., Mexican Spanish).
Literacy Levels: What is the literacy level of the target audience? Is their language primarily
spoken rather than read? It is important to create materials using simple, 5th grade reading-level
language and, given that native language literacy cannot be assumed, alternative forms of
language assistance must also be considered.
Cultural considerations: Are there cultural issues, that could affect the translation? Pay close
attention to language/translation issues that could result from factors such as your target
audience’s age, gender, religion, regional origin, etc.
2
The primary languages of King County are languages other than English spoken by the largest number of King
County residents, based upon data from the American Community Survey, US Census Bureau, King County WIC
interpretation requests, and Public Health Clinic visits. This data is updated by the County demographer every
2-3 years.
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 13
Updated: March 23, 2021SELECTING A TRANSLATION VENDOR
Qualified Translator: a person who has knowledge and can render a text from one
language into another without compromising its tone and style, observing the cultural
nuances, and remaining impartial to the content.
o They usually translate into/from their mother tongue into English with a few
exceptions – such as when the translator can speak a very rare language.
o Not all native speakers of a foreign language possess the skills to perform
translation work. Most qualified translators have undergone training or
certification or both to be able to perform the job.
o Many qualified translators are subject matter experts in certain fields which
allows them to work in specific industries and to translate technical documents.
Certified Translators: are translators who have been awarded a credential awarded based
on their ability to demonstrate that they meet the necessary translation and professional
skills to perform quality translation work.
o Translator certification is not regulated in the US or by Washington State;
however, there are several credentials can be awarded to translators which
require a certain level of proficiency:
o American Translators Association (individuals who demonstrate professional
translation skills)
o Washington Department of Social and Health Services (for medical and social
service interpreters)
o Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts (for court/legal
interpreters)
It is important to note the certifying bodies often do not cover all language combinations.
Also, it is not practical for every skilled employee to become certified.
Working with Certified Translators is required when translating legal documents, medical
information and other content that technical and/or especially long.
All King County agencies shall ensure that translations are performed by Qualified
Translators and reviewed by another translator or native speaker for quality assurance.
Selecting a translation vendor from the list of Approved Translation and Interpretation
Contracts, assures agencies that translators are qualified based on their:
o ability to translate information in a large variety of languages,
o ability to provide quality assurance and review by a second qualified translator,
o specialization and/or prior work experience in necessary field (depending on the
project); and
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 14
Updated: March 23, 2021o agency’s ability to offer domestic/local translators to provide localized
translations, native speaker(s) of target language(s), American Translator
Association certified translators (or equivalent certification), and translators who
have at least 5 years’ experience.
Certified translators may not be required for your project. Also, please note that
certification is not always practical/available.
BILINGUAL OR BILITERATE EMPLOYEES
Knowing that certification is not available to all people who qualify, and that it may not
be practical to hire a vendor to fulfill all of King County’s translation needs, agencies can
opt to assign their more basic translation projects3 to internal employees who have been
assessed to possess the necessary skills to perform translation work.
ALTA Language Services offers a Written Translation Assessment in 58 languages. Each test
consists of several passages in a source language that must be translated into the target
language.
o These online tests can be administered by agencies on an “as needed” basis and
take about two hours to administer.
o As of February 2020, the cost of the Written Translation Assessment was $66 per
employee tested, regardless of the language tested.
o Some King County agencies already work with ALTA; however, your
agency/division might need to set up an account to get started.
Please note: the failure rate for this test is high for employees who lack experience with
written translation. Employees who do not pass the Written Translation Assessment may
still offer bilingual assistance to customers, including greeting them and providing general
information. Bilingual employees can also review basic translations to ensure readability
by the target audience.
Special note:
Translation is both an art and a science. No two translators will translate a document in the
same way. Any feedback to your translator/vendor should be about issues concerning
cultural competency, readability, or understanding for the target audience, and there may
be more than one way to convey a message correctly and effectively.
3
Basic translation projects include simple signage, informational flyers and short, talking points
and non-technical passages to be included in web or social media communications.
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 15
Updated: March 23, 2021TRANSCREATION
Transcreation, or the process of working with the target audience to crowd-source the
most effective in-language messaging, is an effective alternative to translation.
• This is a great way for agencies to leverage established relationships with local
Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) that serve the target population, whose
values may align with your project goals.
• Agencies shall budget adequate time to complete the project (OESJ suggests a
minimum of two weeks) and plan on collaborating with the CBO to ensure
common understanding of the business and community contexts.
• It is an expectation that agencies pay CBOs for any time they spend creating or
reviewing King County materials.
o As of February 2020, the minimum rate of reimbursement for CBOs shall be $50
per staff hour spent on an agency’s project. Please know that CBOs might have
a different rate in place for this service.
WORKING WITH A TRANSLATION VENDOR
Project Authorization
Agencies opting to work with a translation vendor, shall select their vendor based on:
o the availability of the desired language, dialect, and cultural configuration,
o the vendor’s technical expertise as related to the content to be translated,
o the competitiveness of the bid; and
o the vendor’s ability to meet the project timeline.
Employees shall work with their supervisors to approve the estimated translation expense
and provide authorization for the project to begin.
Please note that, in the event of changes that affect pricing after approval of the initial
estimate, agencies will receive an updated cost estimate for further approval.
Payment for Services
An invoice will be sent to the requesting agency once the translation project requested is
complete. Payment shall be submitted once all translated materials have been received.
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 16
Updated: March 23, 2021Follow-Up and Feedback
It is important for agencies to follow-up with their selected translation vendor during the
translation process.
• Feedback related to an agency’s experience with a translation vendor, whether
related to customer service or translation quality, is very important.
Communicate any issues to the vendor with the purpose of achieving resolution.
If necessary, agencies shall escalate concerns to:
✓ Mauricio Martinez, King County Customer Service; and
✓ Washington State Enterprise Services, the holder of our statewide contract for
interpreter services, who will consider feedback at the time of contract renewal.
Final Quality Review
Agencies shall incorporate a two quality review steps into all their written translation
work. The Final Quality Review shall be completed by a third party, meaning someone
different from whomever performed the initial translation work and the preliminary
review. Professional translation vendors’ services include a preliminary review step by a
second translator.
OESJ suggests that the final quality review for translation projects completed by a vendor
is performed by a member of the target language group who resides locally, to ensure that
the message will resonate with the community.
Materials translated by a qualified translator, including King County employees, shall
also undergo two layers of review. The first review shall be completed by a second
qualified translator (internal or external to King County). The final quality review shall be
completed by:
o Translation Vendor: You may choose a vendor from the Approved Translation and
Interpretation Contracts list for the final quality review. The rate for translation
review is typically charged at a different (lower) rate than full translation.
o Target Language Community: Another option for the final quality review is to have
materials reviewed by someone from your target audience. Agencies may tap a
local community-based organization that serves the target population, being
mindful to their capacity.
✓ Agencies are expected to compensate community-based partners for providing
this service at a minimum rate of $50 per staff hour spent on the review.
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 17
Updated: March 23, 2021SUPPORT RESOURCES
TRANSLATION RESOURCES
o American Translators Association: https://www.atanet.org/
o Approved Translator and Interpreter Contracts:
https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/finance-business-operations/procurement/for-
government/awarded-contracts/translator-interpreter.aspx
o King County Code 2.15, Immigrant, Refugee and Language Access Ordinance:
https://www.kingcounty.gov/council/legislation/kc_code/05_Title_2.aspx
o King County K.C.C 2.15 Immigrant, Refugee, Language Access SharePoint Site:
https://kc1.sharepoint.com/teams/KingCountyCode215ImmigrantRefugeeandLang
uageAccessOrdinance
o Language Access, King County Resources:
https://www.kingcounty.gov/audience/employees/translation-interpretation.aspx
o Ordinance 18665, King County:
https://mkcclegisearch.kingcounty.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3209106&GUID=
00C3F2DC-3744-4F82-A7FC-0CDB5C44DAFA&FullText=1
o Plain Language, King County Standards:
www.kingcounty.gov/exec/styleguide/plainwriting.aspx
o Readable Flesch Reading Ease Tool
https://app.readable.com/text/
o Washington State Coalition for Language Access (WASCLA):
https://www.wascla.org/
o Written Translation Executive Order, King County:
https://www.kingcounty.gov/~/media/operations/policies/documents/inf142aeo.
ashx?la=en
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 18
Updated: March 23, 2021APPENDIX A: DEFINITIONS
Agency: King County department, agency, division, commission, council, committee, board,
other body or person, established by authority of an ordinance, executive order, or charter.
Alternative Forms of Language Assistance: Different means of ensuring effective
communication with a Limited English-Proficient individual, with consideration to issues such as
cultural competency, literacy levels and content technicality. Examples of alternative methods
include sight translation, video or phone interpretation and visual/graphic communication.
Employee: A person who is appointed as an employee by the appointing authority of a county
agency, office, department, council, board, commission or other separate unit or division of
county government, acting within the scope of employment or acting on behalf of the county. 4
Interpretation: The transfer of an oral communication from one language to another.
Limited-English-proficient: Describes a person who does not speak English as their primary
language, who has a limited ability to read, speak, write, or understand English.
Plain Language: Is writing designed to ensure the reader understands as quickly, easily, and
completely as possible. It avoids verbose, convoluted language and jargon.
Public communication materials: Materials that are intended for broad distribution to inform or
educate people served by King County. For the purpose of translation, "public communication
materials" refers only to printed media such as brochures, posters, booklets, pamphlets,
billboards and advertisements in printed publications.
Target Audience: The intended audience of a service, program, marketing effort or campaign
Translation: The transfer of a written communication from one language to another while
preserving the intent and essential meaning of the original text.
Vital documents: are materials that provide essential information for accessing basic county
services and benefits and for which serious consequences would result if the information were
not provided. (Ord. 19026 § 1, 2019: Ord. 18665 § 1, 2018).
4
"County employee" also includes a county elected official and a member of a county board,
commission, committee or other multimember body, but does not include an official or employee of
the county's judicial branch, though it does include an employee of the department of judicial
administration.
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 19
Updated: March 23, 2021APPENDIX B: KING COUNTY TOP LANGUAGES, 2021
King County's Top
Languages
Ranked into Three Tiers
2021 Update
Language Tier
First Tier:
Translation
Required Spanish 1
Second Tier: Chinese* 2
Vietnamese 2
Translation Somali 2
Russian 2
Recommended Korean 2
Ukrainian 2
Tagalog 2
Amharic 2
Arabic 2
Dari 3
Third Tier: Punjabi 3
Translation Tigrinya 3
Encouraged Japanese 3
Marshallese 3
KEY
First Tier: "Public Communication Materials" must be translated into target
language, in specific instances spelled out in the Executive Order and where
practicable.
Second Tier: Translation of Public Communication Materials is recommended,
depending on target audience.
Third Tier: Translation of Public Communication Materials is encouraged,
depending on target audience.
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 20
Updated: March 23, 2021APPENDIX C: KING COUNTY LANGUAGE DENSITY MAPS, 2019
Percent of Population Speaking Spanish at Home, 2019
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 21
Updated: March 23, 2021Percent of Population Speaking Chinese at Home, 2019
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 22
Updated: March 23, 2021Percent of Population Speaking Vietnamese at Home, 2019
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Updated: March 23, 2021Percent of Population Speaking Somali at Home, 2019
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 24
Updated: March 23, 2021Percent of Population Speaking Russian at Home, 2019
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 25
Updated: March 23, 2021Percent of Population Speaking Korean at Home, 2019
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 26
Updated: March 23, 2021CONTACTS FOR SUPPORT
For questions about this manual or technical assistance requests, contact the Office
of Equity and Social Justice or visit the King County Immigrant and Refugee
SharePoint site.
Senayet Negusse
Language Equity Program Manager
King County Executive’s Office of Equity and Social Justice
401 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104
snegusse@kingcounty.gov
206.580.8013 | TTY Relay: 711
Mauricio Martinez
Communications Specialist II
King County Office of the Executive
401 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104
Mauricio.Martinez@kingcounty.gov
206.263.9630 | TTY Relay: 711
Hamdi Mohamed
Immigrant and Refugee Policy Advisor
King County Executive’s Office of Equity and Social Justice
401 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104
hamdi.mohamed@kingcounty.gov
206.263.3434 | TTY Relay: 711
For support and questions about translations, contact your agencies’ Public
Information Officer, Communications Team or K.C.C 2.15 Language Access Liaison.
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 27
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